FFWD REW

Rodeo review: Young Drunk Punk

Bruce McCulloch is one of the most likable stage personalities you can imagine. Small goofy awkward — he has perfected a delivery and persona that is hard to separate from the man. His new one-man show at High Performance Rodeo Young Drunk Punk is a hilarious diatribe that shouldn’t be missed.

Opening with some awkward um dancing (kind of) and words of wisdom ("never never never trust a man who repeats himself") while Brian Connolley of Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet fame plays guitar the laughs start early and continue throughout — except for the few sad/introspective bits.

McCulloch spent some time right after the opening number telling the audience how much better this show is compared to his last performance in Calgary even working in a damning quote from a Fast Forward Weekly review at the time. It was an excellent and humourous moment of self-deprecation that gets you on his side early.

The show follows the script of his life from his early days of boozing and getting into trouble in Calgary (including picking up a woman at Bagels and Buns) to Toronto and the Kids in the Hall to his married life as a father in Los Angeles who goes on sex weekends to save his relationship.

There’s plenty of insight into the pifalls and joys of growing old particularly as a quirky outsider. But the main reason for going to the show and the most rewarding aspect is simply McCulloch’s humour. This was one of the funniest shows I’ve seen in a very long time.

That said you should be a fan of McCulloch’s brand of offbeat humour. If you like your jokes straight laced and without any refence to shaved vaginas and mom’s sleeping with the Insane Clown Posse you might want to skip this one (the majority of the show is not vulgar).

McCulloch did stumble over some lines and had one (maybe intentional) missed lighting cue that he managed to turn into a joke but it all added to the feel of the show and the appeal of McCulloch as a person and performer.

Just go see Young Drunk Punk.

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